Must Do: Saturday Night Flare Run

For over 30 years visitors to Thredbo have enjoyed the weekly fireworks and flare run display. In 2007, 1,269 skiers and snowboarders took part in a flare run to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Thredbo landslide, smashing the Australian record for the biggest flare run.

This has always been a crowd favourite, and is a must do for any keen skiers and boarders over the age of 18. If you are an advanced rider, you can join in and be part of the spectacle by signing up on the day at the Valley Terminal lift pass office on Saturday afternoon.

We decided to send our field correspondent Tiggy Cameron into the line of fire to share with you her first flare run experience.

“Wait, so they give you real flares…and you light them on fire…so that you can ski down the supertrail…in the dark?!”
I got a call from a friend to see what I was up to last Saturday night. He was taking his Mother along for her first Thredbo Flare Run, and asked if I wanted to come along too…“Bring your skis, an old jacket and dress warm” were the instructions I was given.

Around 5pm that Saturday evening, when everyone else was heading home for dinner, a large group of us assembled, including staff, locals and school holiday goers. We were handed two flares each and loaded onto Snow Gums chair lift, just as daylight started to disappear. Half way up it began to dawn on me what we were about to do…  “Wait, so they give you real flares…and you light them on fire…so that you can ski down the Supertrail…in the dark?!”

Just when I thought this place couldn’t get much quirkier, I find myself standing on the Supertrail at dusk, surrounded by 80 or more people, with two burning sticks in my hand…. “no wonder this flare run thing is famous!”
“Fire them up!” the instructors yelled, “single file guys, let’s give the village something to talk about!!” and just like that we were off, weaving our way down the freshly groomed Supertrail, lit up by a trail of red glow. The cold air was stinging our cheeks, sparks were flying off of our flares, and everyone was cheering with excitement as we cruised down the mountain.

#Thredbo #flaterun

A video posted by @rlinke67 on Aug 29, 2015 at 1:39am PDT

Turning down towards the bottom, I couldn’t help but get goose bumps. Spectators were ringing us in with whistles and cowbells and there were high-fives, hugs and beers on offer, as a massive display of fireworks began erupting above us. “I’ve been waiting to do this for 47 years” I heard one man say as a number of staff members loaded him across their arms and threw him up and down into the air, a tradition I learnt reserved only for first time Flare Runners.

I can happily say I spent the rest of my Saturday night with a huge grin on my face. The Thredbo Flare run is an experience I won’t forget, and one I’d highly recommend…take your parents, a group of mates or your ripping Grandad, rug up warm, pack some beers and make a night of it.